I am sorry guys, but you are fighting a losing battle here. No web site admin/maintainer is going to dig through hundreds (in our case, thousands) of web pages to figure out if we have 'non-free' modules, replace those javascript modules/code with 'free' versions, or more to the point, release our own javascript - which support commercial 'web applications' - as free. Only an idiot is going to spend thousands of dollars and months of time developing a commercial web app - and I don't know of any that don't include javascript - and then release it as free code.
Also, I - like many - have no intention being forced to use Firefox - when we prefer Chrome - only to enforce all of that 'only free' javascript. Frankly, as a user, if I am paying to use a commercial web app, and 'LibreJS' or anything else starts blocking code because it is 'non-free' - I would immediately rip it out. *I hope our donations to FSF are NOT focused on this effort* to get every web site to agree to only use 'free' javascript, because it is just not going to fly. A better approach is guidelines/rules/laws that limit what 'non-free' javascript is allowed to do, such as not collect/mine information. Joe Clayton Creative Software On Tue, Nov 14, 2017 at 12:54 AM, Donald Robertson, III, FSF <[email protected]> wrote: > [image: Free Software Foundation] > > *Read online: > https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/you-can-now-register-as-a-dmca-agent-without-using-nonfree-javascript > <https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/you-can-now-register-as-a-dmca-agent-without-using-nonfree-javascript>* > > Dear Joe Clayton, > > With the deadline for registering as a DMCA agent looming at the end of > the year, these two add-ons allow you to register without the use of > nonfree JavaScript. > > Users shouldn't be forced to use nonfree software when interacting with > their own government. Every user has the right to control their own > computing, and the government shouldn't force you to download and install > proprietary software just to take advantage of its services. But when it > comes to registering as an agent under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act > (DMCA) in the United States, that's exactly what the government expects you > to do. > > Users are likely familiar with the DMCA's more draconian aspects, namely > the creation of legal penalties for circumventing Digital Restrictions > Management > <https://www.defectivebydesign.org/what_is_drm_digital_restrictions_management>. > The Free Software Foundation's Defective by Design campaign is fighting > <https://www.defectivebydesign.org/DMCA-exemption-commenting-process-broken> > to end that nightmare and repeal that part of the law. But like many laws, > it's crammed full of a wide variety of provisions, the anti-circumvention > rules being only one of them. > > Another piece of the law creates what are known as the safe harbor > provisions. These rules set out some steps that maintainers of Web sites > can take to avoid liability when a user of their site uploads potentially > infringing copyrighted materials. The main provision here is that if a > copyright holder finds their work on your site without their permission, > they can submit a take down notice to an agent registered for your site. > This agent can then remove the work, thus avoiding liability for the > potentially infringing distribution. Without this safe harbor, the site > maintainer could potentially be sued. > > While this safe harbor rule can lead to abuse, with improper take downs, > it also allows maintainers of Web sites to permit their users to share > works. If the rule wasn't in place, it would be too dangerous to accept > such uploads without reviewing each work -- something most Web sites can't > afford to do. The Free Software Foundation takes advantage of the safe > harbor provisions to ensure that we can continue to share software created > and uploaded by free software developers, or to share information like that > found in the Free Software Directory <https://directory.fsf.org/>, or to > help people organize locally via LibrePlanet.org > <https://libreplanet.org/>. > > As mentioned before, though, taking advantage of the safe harbor > provisions requires having an agent to accept the notices. This is where > the problem arises. The U.S. Copyright Office is now requiring Web site > maintainers to re-register using https://www.copyright.gov/dmca-directory/ > by December 31st of 2017. This site, like many others that the Copyright > Office requires use of > <https://www.defectivebydesign.org/blog/it_isnt_just_dmca_broken_beyond_repair>, > is lousy with nonfree JavaScript > <https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap>. Unlike the server > software you may interact with when visiting any Web site, JavaScript is > actually downloaded and run on your machine. Like any proprietary software, > it does not serve the user, and cannot be trusted. Users must avoid nonfree > JavaScript just as they would avoid any piece of proprietary software. But > if they want to continue to enjoy safe harbor provisions, they must allow > this intrusion onto their computer. > > The Free Software Foundation reached out to the Copyright Office with > these issues, and we still hope to work out a solution with them for the > long term. But with the deadline coming up, we had to fix it ourselves. We > collaborated with a volunteer to develop a workaround that allows you to > register using only free software. The fix requires installing two freely > licensed add-ons, Register DMCA claim contacts w/o bad Javascript > <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/librejs-compatible-pay-gov/> > and Automatically reveal hidden HTML elements > <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/submit-me/>. These > add-ons, when used with GNU LibreJS > <https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/>, allow anyone who needs to > register as a DMCA agent to do so without loading the harmful nonfree > JavaScript. > > There are still a few quirks that are being hammered out. Currently you > have to add alternate names by uploading a document rather than filling in > a text field. The only document type that they will accept is Excel, a > proprietary format, but users can create documents in that format using > LibreOffice <https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/LibreOffice>. It's not a > perfect solution, but it does enable users to actually complete the entire > registration process using only free software. We will also be talking with > the Copyright Office about supporting better formats. That is one of the > beautiful things about free software: when people see a problem and have > control over their own tools, they have the power to come together and make > things right. > > Users have a right to control their own computing. Governments everywhere > should ensure that participating in any program they provide does not > require the use of nonfree software. But where governments are slow to > react, we all have to work together to route around the threat of > proprietary software. Here's what you can do to help: > > - Spread the word to any Web site maintainers you know that they can > register using free software. > - Use the add-ons to register for your own sites, and let us know you > did by emailing us at [email protected]. > - Help improve GNU LibreJS <https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/>. > - Support the work of the Free Software Foundation by donating > <https://www.fsf.org/donate> or becoming a member > <https://www.fsf.org/join>. > > Sincerely, > Donald Robertson, III > Licensing and Compliance Manager > > Follow us on GNU social <https://status.fsf.org/fsf> | Subscribe to our > blogs via RSS <https://fsf.org/blogs/RSS> | Join us as an associate member > <https://www.fsf.org/jf> > > Sent from the Free Software Foundation, > 51 Franklin St > <https://maps.google.com/?q=51+Franklin+St&entry=gmail&source=g>, Fifth > Floor > Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1335 > UNITED STATES > > Unsubscribe > <https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=155053&qid=29457639&h=034a7d6b5e7bd888> > from this mailing list. > > Stop all email > <https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=155053&qid=29457639&h=034a7d6b5e7bd888> > from the Free Software Foundation, including Defective by Design, and the > Free Software Supporter newsletter. >
